Sceleratus
by Fen Jien Ren
Summary: / DISCONTINUED / Dante found his brother again and hoped that things would go for the better, but suddenly, it turned into the worst possible scenario.
1. Orsus :: A Beginning

**TITLE: **Sceleratus  
**AUTHOR:** fENjiEn rEn  
**ANIME/GAME:** Devil May Cry

**SUMMARY:** Dante took a simple mission of wiping clean a demon's nest, but he ended up doing, finding out, and taking things more than they had agreed on. Along with the package that is to be unopened, he found his brother, too, but with a horrible catch.  
**GENRE:** Angst, drama, family/friendship, hurt and comfort, and mystery.

**WARNING:** Yaoi (boy on boy), incest, fluff (sweet stuff), angst, possible lemon (smut), violence, gore, and foul words.**  
PAIRINGS:** Vergil-Dante (Dante-Vergil), one-sided Dante-Nero, and implied Nero-Patty Rowell.  
**NOTE:** Patty Rowell is a blonde girl from the DMC anime.

**DISCLAIMERS:** Capcom owns Devil May Cry… enough said.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I uncovered this story while I was sorting my files on my computer. I totally forgot that I made a DMC fic, this one was actually made last February and what the heck!? It's already August! I think I was depressed when I did this, so really expect angst and gore and everything. I get obsessed with pain and blood whenever I get depressed. xDD

**CHAPTER ONE:** Orsus.

He shifted under the thin sheets as white as his hair glowing under the light of the graceful moon. He was breathing deeply, uncomfortably turning his head side to side swiftly, and sweating cold. He rolled, yet again, to his back and clasped tight to his freezing chest. He opened his lips and began panting, looking more aggrieved than he already was. He threw an arm to the cold air, fighting off an invisible enemy. He shook his head fast, and then screamed as beads of sharp tears flowed down his tightly shut eyes. He started kicking and punching, throwing everything he got to fight off whatever that was over him. He screamed again, and this time, he woke up to it.

He continued to catch for his breath as he stared up at the dark ceiling that had flashed along with the lightning bolt that reached the ground. He wiped his tears knowing that nobody else could, he lived alone, after all. After a while, composure reigned again over his mind. He sat up and lifted a hand to hold his red amulet laced with silver on his chest firmly.

As another bolt struck, he held himself tight as he shivered as his nightmare flashed before his eyes. He gritted his teeth and tightened his hold. He shook his head and sunk back to his cold bed as he continued to cry. He gasped, sobbed… he cried so hard as if it was his first time in over a decade, but actually, it wasn't. It happens every night, and that very fact tortured him more.

"L-leave me alone… P-please, l-leave me b-be… S-stop it… Please." He begged, whispering to the cold evening. He dug deeper to his soft pillow and took handfuls of his hair just to try pulling them out from his scalp. He did it in hopes of distracting his thoughts away from the horrid nightmare and pain. He was acting so helpless, but he didn't mind at the moment. It was too much to bear, too much for a lone hybrid.

"M-mother… H-help me." Tears continued to fall. He kept on crying despite knowing that it was useless. His mother was long gone, but he didn't have anyone else to call for. He felt awkward in calling for someone he wasn't familiar with such as his father, the legendary dark knight, while crying out to his twin brother was… was just… absurd. He didn't have anyone else to call but her. He had no other choice, and it wasn't like it was going to make a difference. Whoever he chose to call, no one would come, anyway. It had always been like that. It was just how things worked.

Every single night, it is the same. He would wake up to a nightmare, screaming and crying, and fall back to dreamland with the tears still there, left to dry up till sun rise. After a little more of his pointless pleadings, his cries finally stopped. His eyes incompletely shut, but now cold and empty. It was how he had been sleeping since the nightmares came to haunt. It was awkward, but there wasn't any other choice. It was the only state he could find that was closest to sleep. He needed rest; he had to work the next morning.

The following day, he woke up on the same position he had fallen asleep in. He was lying on his stomach with his face buried on the pillow. It was a great wonder that he managed to breathe over the night, but he had other things to think of. He raised his head and looked around, feeling a bit off with his room. There was something new, but he couldn't tell what it was. He stood up and took his twin guns, Ebony and Ivory, and proceeded downstairs.

The reception room was empty. He walked to his desk and put his guns down to take a slice of cold pizza from a box. He raised a slice up to his mouth and bit hard, almost taking the whole thing.

A voice whispered. He felt the cold breath against his skin and it made him shiver. He turned around with Ivory in hand, but he found no one else but himself. He gasped as it whispered again on the opposite side, but when he turned around, there was really no one else. He scratched the back of his head and gave off a deep sigh. He shook his head and thought that maybe his nightmares were just getting into is brain a little too much.

He went to the bathroom, thinking that maybe a cold shower might shake his head of it. He wasn't wearing any shirt, so he proceeded in taking off his pants and boots. He stood under the showerhead and twisted the faucet. Cold, freezing water rained down on him as he closed his eyes. He thought of the voice that spoke earlier. Sure, there was a high possibility that it was just his imagination, but that didn't feel right.

He gasped. His eyes shot open as a familiar voice rang in his ear along with a distinct face that looked much like his own. He shook his head as he lowered it between his arms pushing against the tiled wall. He began to cry again but it was hidden by the shower. "That can't be." He told himself, and repeated it over and over until he finished his shower.

He walked out of the bathroom with new pants and a towel draped over his head. He sat down and lifted his feet up to the desk crowded with pizza boxes, plastic bottles and cups. He crossed his legs and leaned back his chair as he looked up at the wooden ceiling.

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

He fluttered his eyes open, realized that he had fallen asleep. He sat back up and put his feet down to the floor and stretched his limbs. He yawned and covered his mouth with a hand. He stood and went back upstairs to his room to get a decent shirt. He rummaged through his closet and found a black fitting shirt; he stared at it and shrugged. He put it on and picked up his vest, gun holsters and coat as he walked back down.

"Welcome to Devil May Cry." He greeted as he threw his things to his desk just to put them on one by one. He walked behind his desk after dressing up, and sat down. He crossed his legs and arms as he looked up to his male client. The man was in pure white, except for the black tie.

"Can you keep a secret… demon hunter Dante?"

Dante raised a brow and put his legs down to the floor. He looked at his client from head to toe, feeling that the atmosphere somehow changed when the man stepped inside his office. He didn't find anything out of the ordinary, so he decided to save the questions for later. He shrugged the thought off and replied, "It depends on the kind of secret… and the amount of money you're willing to pay."

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

He ran down the broken stairs of the ancient ruins with Rebellion in hand. He slashed through the strangely mutated Sins that threw themselves towards him with tormented cries. He found it strange, but maybe they just learned a new way of fighting. Even if they were really committing suicide jumping like that, he didn't care. In any case, it was making his job a lot easier for him.

At the end of the stairs, a vaulted door welcomed his sight. It looked different than the other doors that blended with the ruins. The door before him now looked like it was newly built. He poked the door with his sword, testing if it had any traps or something. It was out of the picture, after all, there had to be a reason why it was there.

The door slowly opened with a creak. He touched it and pushed it open with his free hand and walked in. It surprised him. Everything inside was new. There were so many machines inside and all of them were fully powered. He had not seen something like this before. He wondered: how come a fully modernized room was hiding under the ruins nested by demons? There was obviously a reason why it was here. What was his client trying to hide?

He walked further inside, and with every step he took, he found astonishing things that surprised him more. He saw children inside cages, mutated humans, and not just humans but also those of his other half. There were demons nailed to the wall, drenched in blood. Some where chained, but their chests were stabbed by silver poles to hold them in place. It almost made him puke.

"What the fuck..?" He furrowed his brows and inspected further. He walked towards tiny cage and a little girl reached for him. Half of her face was covered in bandages. He smelled blood, human blood mixed with demon's blood. He knelt down and touched the child's shaking small hand. "W-what happened here?" He asked, but when the girl opened her mouth, it was empty—no teeth, no tongue. He shook his head in disgust towards the men that were responsible and pity for the caged beings. How could a human do this?

"Are you all right?" He squeezed the girl's hand. "Want to get out of here?" The girl smiled but shook her head. She reached out her other hand and touched Dante's pale face, then pointed at their left. He raised a brow, but the girl just nodded and smiled again. He patted the girl and stood up, walking towards the direction the child has pointed to.

His heart was beating fast, he didn't know why. Then, he suddenly stopped. His jaw hung open in surprise. "V-Verg… Vergil." He looked up at the cylindrical glass filled with crimson liquid. He shook his head and closed his eyes tight. What was happening here? Why was his brother here in the middle of everything and in this state?

"V-Vergil! C-can you hear me?!" He stuttered as he regained his strength and ran towards him and slammed his hands to the table. "V-Vergil! Vergil!" He called over and over, his tears starting to form in the corner of his eyes. Something suddenly beeped; he turned to his right and saw a black screen with green lines all over. He approached it and stared at it for a moment. Finally realizing what it was, he looked back up to his brother and gritted his teeth.

"Fuck this." He reached back to his sword, Rebellion, and slashed through the glass. The crimson liquid flowed out, and it actually turned out to be demon blood. He wrinkled his nose as he stayed from where he was until he caught his brother's limp body with his arms. He fell back to the floor, but a smile painted his lips as he felt his arms around something.

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Dante went back to Devil May Cry with his brother, wrapped in his red coat, unconscious in his arms. He looked down at his face from time to time, just to reassure himself that his brother was still alive. He was doubtful, though, Vergil had not moved a muscle ever since. He did not make a single sound or anything at all. The younger twin shivered at the thought of finding his brother just to see him die once again. It was the root of his nightmares, after all, and he didn't want to worsen them.

He laid his brother down at his bed and looked back at the bloody trail he had made. He chuckled, scratched the back of his head, and turned back to his brother. Dante pulled a chair turned it around, sat on it the wrong way, and reached for his brother's wrinkled fingers. "You'll wake up, okay?" He squeezed the other's hand, hoping for a reply, but obviously, none would come. He sighed and closed his eyes, not letting go of his brother's cold hand.

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

He had set the room on fire with all the demons and humans trapped inside before they left. There would be no place now that they'd belong to, and they also have suffered enough, Dante decided to just set them free and end all their miseries. They'd surely find their way to heaven or someplace they can live well and happy, but despite that thought, Dante was haunted by their agonized cries. Regardless of the reason, he still killed them and nothing can ever change that.

He always said that his sword was only for demons, but from what he had seen, from everything that he had burned, he was about to change his mind if it wasn't for the image of their mother flashed before him to remind him what made him whole. He never thought any human could do that, but he had seen it. It was actually possible. They always suspected the demons to do harm, but no one realized how humans can be dangerous. Everyone can always count on the demons to behave horridly, but humans' minds were impossible to calculate. No one can ever tell, no one can ever escape, when a human does one crazy thing.

"Verg?" He groaned awake. Dante looked up and found his brother still unconscious, still on the very exact position he laid him in. He looked down at the ground and sighed, he started to lose hope but he still wanted to try. He didn't want to see his brother die, not in his hands… not again… never again.

He stood, looking down at his brother's face weakly. He gritted his teeth, and then crawled on to the bed and over his brother. Dante pressed his forehead against the other's cold one and whispered, their lips almost touching. "Wake up, okay?" He reached for his brother's hand and entwined it with his as he closed his eyes and prayed. "Damn it, please, wake up."


	2. Fastosus :: Pride

**TITLE: **Sceleratus  
**AUTHOR:** fENjiEn rEn  
**ANIME/GAME:** Devil May Cry

**SUMMARY:** Dante took a simple mission of wiping clean a demon's nest, but he ended up doing, finding out, and taking things more than they had agreed on. Along with the package that is to be unopened, he found his brother, too, but with a horrible catch.  
**GENRE:** Angst, drama, family/friendship, hurt and comfort, and mystery.

**WARNING:** Yaoi (boy on boy), incest, fluff (sweet stuff), angst, possible lemon (smut), violence, gore, and foul words.**  
PAIRINGS:** Vergil-Dante (Dante-Vergil), one-sided Dante-Nero, and implied Nero-Patty Rowell.

**DISCLAIMERS:** Capcom owns Devil May Cry.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Somebody asked. Sceleratus is Latin, meaning 'with blood'. By the way, this fic was inspired by the Resident Evil game on PlayStation... You'd notice how it did if you played the game.

**Chapter Two: **Fastosus.

The whole room was engulfed by fire, and soon it would spread, eating the very ruins it was hidden in. The demon half-breed watched everything went down from fire to ashes with his brother wrapped with his red coat in his arms. He looked down at him and brushed a hand on his pale face, silently sending a prayer. Dante turned around and left just before everything fell down. There was nothing left in that ruins, he made sure of that, but the cries of both human and demons rang in his ears, blaming him for something he had not done. He freed them, that was what he thought… that's what he wanted to believe, but regardless of that, he was still the one who started the fire, he was the one who took only one from the thousands that wanted to live. He was selfish and only took his brother reasoning that he was the only one who had a place to belong to. But who was he to say that? Who was he to decide who would die and live? Was he playing God now? No, he hated that because that was the reason why his life was like this. Maybe he did that so no one can see how humans were vile creatures. So, he wouldn't be laughed at that the beings that he had been trying to protect were worse than the ones he was hunting down. Maybe that was it… for Pride.

Dante looked down at his unconscious brother. Vergil was still breathing, but even after three days, he still hadn't woken up or even made the slightest sound. The younger twin sighed as he slowly lost hope. He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, looking like his brother for a second, and then he swept them back down again. "Fuck this."

"I'm going to meet with the asshole that commissioned me." Dante said as he moved closer to his brothers pale face. "Please, don't wake up until I get home, or at least, don't leave until then."

The demon hunter sighed and took his red coat, putting it on as he walked down the stairs and out of his office.

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

He shifted under the thin sheets. He was breathing deeply, uncomfortably turning his head side to side swiftly, and sweating cold. He rolled, yet again, to his back and clasped tight to his freezing chest. He opened his lips and began panting, looking more aggrieved than he already was. He threw an arm to the air, fighting off an invisible enemy. He shook his head fast, started to kick and punch, and threw everything he got to fight off whatever that was over him. He screamed again, and this time, he woke up to it.

He continued to catch for his breath as he stared up at the ceiling. He sat up and lifted a hand to hold his red amulet laced with gold. When he thought that everything was over, he was totally wrong. His nightmares continued even when he was awake, he yelled. He screamed his heart out, and even though his throat grew dry, he kept on screaming as he finally released his warm tears, but it didn't end there. Not yet.

He jumped out of the bed and ran towards the wall. He screamed and started to throw his head against the wall again and again. Blood gushed out of his abused skin, but he still kept on going. He screamed and screamed, but he didn't have any name to call. He just… screamed. It had always been like that. It was just how things worked.

He started to fill dizzy and lose the strength to hurt his self again. His knees shook and gave up on him; he fell down. He gasped, and raced for his breath as he stared at his reflection on the puddle of blood he had made. He wiped his tears away, knowing that no one else would. He stayed still for a while, just staring, breathing. Then he bent down and licked the floor clean of his own blood.

The door opened, someone came in, but he didn't care. There was something with his blood that he just couldn't place it next to anything else.

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Dante stretched his limbs as he walked back inside his office. Nothing seemed to be out of place, he took it that his brother hadn't woken up yet. He took of his red coat and threw it to the empty couch as he walked up the stairs. When he reached the upper floor, it was as silent as when he had left. Maybe his brother had really not woken up yet. It felt useless to check, so he head back down.

He sat on his chair and pulled a box from one of his drawers. It was the one that he was supposed to give his client, its retrieval was his mission, but the doctor didn't come. He opened the package, he knew that he wasn't supposed to, but he did, anyway. When the brown rough paper was taken off, he opened the box and found papers inside.

He sighed, "This is going to be boring." Dante complained, but he started reading the documents…

_Week One: We were given a corpse of a man. If the information given to us were correct, the man died five years ago but his body was yet to start to decompose. There was still blood in his system despite the fact that his heart has frozen. There was still water on his head, as if his brain was still active. The body was peculiar indeed, and we were trusted to find the reason why this was possible._

_Week Two: We supplied new blood to his system. All we did was transfuse them, and then his heart started to beat right away. It started out slow, but as time passed, it found its rhythm and became stable. If we could discover the reason behind this, it would help a lot of people. We can revive people if we needed them, we can lengthen our lives, and we can live forever._

_Week Three: T__he specimen had awakened, but it seemed lost for words. Since it gained consciousness, it had been looking around as if searching for something. We tried to figure out what it was. We showed him different kinds of things, pictures, but he didn't seem to take notice of them._

Dante furrowed his brows and turned the page.

_Week Four: __We discovered something. It seemed like that the specimen has a great liking for the color red._

The demon hunter groaned. "Wow, what a very surprising discovery. I think I'm gonna wet my damn pants." He said dryly and skipped a couple of pages.

_Week Nine: __We decided to give the specimen a name, since it seemed to understand and react from the things we say. We called him Cruentus, since its liking for the color had not changed._

"Nice name." Dante growled and turned the pages a few more times.

_Week Thirteen: __We started the experiments since Cruentus' condition had been quite stable. We heard his voice for the first time, and everyone felt something ran up their spine as he screamed. It was as if he cursed us through that scream. A few of us started to back out. They said that the man could be the son of Lucifer, or the king of Hell himself._

"What the fuck is this?" Dante turned his eyes away from the documents and to the box. He put his hand inside and looked for something else than the papers. He found three smaller boxes. The demon hunter stared at them and picked one box that had something written on its cover. He cocked his head to the side and read the label aloud: "Week Twenty."

The younger twin turned back at the documents on his hand and flipped the pages until he found the records made on the twentieth week.

_Week Twenty: W__e have failed in every experiment. It seemed that Cruentus' ability of rejuvenation was impossible to pass through blood transfusion. One of my colleagues proposed that we try a sexual intercourse. We tried it, but the specimen did not react to bodies of women. We were desperate. We needed samples other than blood and saliva. I hope, whoever this man once was, that he could forgive us._

Dante furrowed his brows and bit his lip. He opened the box and found a video tape. He stared at it for a while then stood up. He approached his television and player. The demon hunter breathed in before he turned the television on and pushed the tape inside the player. He settled back to his couch and waited for the screen to light up. The screen was shaking, it pissed him off and gave him a headache so he decided to turn it off, but when he caught sight of his brother's face, Dante froze. Vergil was the specimen named Cruentus.

Vergil looked up to the camera where the only light seemed to come from. The dark twin looked so weak, so innocent, and fragile. His hair was down, his skin pale, and body so thin. His stares seemed to pass through everything. Dante was about to smile bitterly at his brother's unusual expression when the view shifted down to show that his brother was bound by shackles. The demon hunter's eyes grew wide as the video and the record he had read started to make the same sense. His brother screamed in pain as he was savaged with every way possible. Vergil was crying throughout the video, and Dante couldn't blame him, because when the video ended, he was crying himself.

"Fuck." He cursed as he wiped his tears. It was like his nightmares, it was actually exact. He sighed and leaned back to the couch, slowly recollecting his self. After a while, he stood up and went back to his desk. "What else, god damn you… What the fucking else did you do to my brother?!" He slammed his fists down his desk and took the stapled papers again.

_Week Twenty One: Cruentus passed out during his sexual activity with a couple of males. We collected as much sperm cells that we could, but we couldn't start the experiment since the specimen had not gained consciousness since last week. It could have died, but it shouldn't. Not yet. We are still not done with our research. Until we figure out how his rejuvenating ability became possible and how it can be passed, he has to endure everything. It is for everybody's sake, after all._

"Fuck you." He spat and turned to the other side and saw the other two boxes. He took one and opened it. This time, pictures were inside. He turned back to the box and searched for its label. At the bottom of it, it said: 'Week Twenty Five'. Dante flipped the papers and started to read.

_Week Twenty Five: We couldn't put Cruentus to his normal state, but at least we did not lose him—not completely. Even in his worn out state, we continued our experiments slowly and carefully. In fusing his sex cells with human female's, we succeeded in making a test-tube baby but we cannot tell yet if the child has inherited Cruentus' ability of rejuvenation._

_Week Twenty Six: We had made twenty babies; all of them grew rather fast. For only 24 hours, they have taken the size of a four year old human child, yet faces of horrid demons. Though, none of them survived to see the other day. It seems that a direct intercourse is needed._

Dante spread the pictures all over his desk and looked at them one by one. It was demons, indeed, but they were living beings, nonetheless. He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

_Week Thirty Seven: Demons that attack us gradually increased. Maybe they could smell the stench of their own blood spread all over. Most of us have died already, but we cannot stop. We have to get the bottom of this mystery and be able to proudly show it to the world that we have made immortality possible. We can not stop even if it means our death. We, once again, apologize to Cruentus for all the things we have done and yet to do. We are still not done. We cannot free this demon yet._

"Fuck you." He cursed for the nth time. "What the hell would you think if I do these things to a human a keep a god damn record of it!?" He slammed his fist against the desk, and then blood gushed out of the tiny cuts in his skin. He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes closed, keeping his tears from falling again. Now was not the time to cry. It was just not right at the moment. Anger was fuming inside him like his blood boiling.

"Fuck you!" He took his chair and threw it in no particular direction. "Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!" He yelled as he threw away everything that was in his reach all around his empty office. Everything clattered, and the sound echoed throughout his house. He panted, but his anger was still not satisfied. "God damn humans!!" He screamed his heart out and picked up his desk and threw it towards the door.

"Whoa!" The silver-haired teenager hopped and evaded the ruthlessly flying desk. It shattered as it came on contact to the wall. He looked back to it and whistled coolly with a shrug of his shoulders. He turned back to the elder demon hunter and approached him. "You okay, old man?"

Dante sighed, finally calmed down upon the site of Nero. "Never been better, kid."


	3. Puerilis Fides :: Childish Promise

**TITLE: **Sceleratus  
**AUTHOR:** fENjiEn rEn  
**ANIME/GAME:** Devil May Cry

**  
SUMMARY:** Dante took a simple mission of wiping clean a demon's nest, but he ended up doing, finding out, and taking things more than they had agreed on. Along with the package that is to be unopened, he found his brother, too, but with a horrible catch.  
**GENRE:** Angst, drama, family/friendship, hurt and comfort, and mystery.

**WARNING:** Yaoi (boy on boy), incest, fluff (sweet stuff), angst, possible lemon (smut), violence, gore, and foul words.**  
PAIRINGS:** Vergil-Dante (Dante-Vergil), one-sided Dante-Nero, and implied Nero-Patty Rowell.

**DISCLAIMERS:** Capcom owns Devil May Cry.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I forgot to mention in the previous chapter. The name the human scientists gave to their live specimen, Cruentus, is another Latin word which means 'blood red'. Oh, I did warn you about a bit of fluff, right? I think this is the worst that I can get and write, though.

**CHAPTER THREE: **Puerilis Fides.

Dante lied down on his couch, his arms crossed under his head. He closed his eyes and rested, while Nero fixed up everything he could around the office. The young hybrid didn't mind, Dante was the only one left that he could come to. It was like, the old man was his only choice or option for a family. No human can accept him, anyway, at least, with his demon arm. Maybe he should consider cutting it off? No, he's contented with living with the man, anyway. Nothing could be better.

Nero turned to the shattered pieces of what was once a desk, he sighed and told himself that that piece of furniture is hopeless. He walked back to the older demon hunter and saw him sleeping, or maybe just resting. "You sure it's not your menopausal tantrums kicking?"

"Very funny." He replied dryly.

Dante shifted to lie on his side and turn his back at him. He thought over all the things he had discovered. It came to him all so fast and so many. Maybe if he read one page a day, it wouldn't be so hard to digest. He wasn't able to read the whole thing. He wondered what else the humans did to his brother. It was impossible to see scars of anything; their every wound rejuvenates in a minute even how big it is. Maybe it was a good thing that it does, or his impartial mentality would break.

Nero kept silent, then went back to repairing the things that he could, but right after it, he walked out of Devil May Cry without any word of goodbyes. Dante knew the boy was brooding. He also knew exactly why and how to make it up to him, but just like his said he wasn't in the mood. He sighed and sat up, looked at the door move swung close. "Sorry, kid." He scratched the back of his head and stood up.

Dante walked upstairs and decided to check on his brother. He twisted the knob and went inside only to be welcome by a bloody sight. "What the fuck!?" He froze as his eyes scanned around the room. He looked for the faintest sign of something out of place, something living, and something that was his brother, even at least, just a part of him if he was dead… again.

"Vergil!" He called as he regained strength to storm in. "Hey! Vergil!" He called again and again as he looked out on every corner that someone could hide. Though, he knew it was probably pointless, he still tried. There was no harm in it, after all, or maybe there was. Hoping hurt his feelings thrice than what it would if he didn't, but he couldn't help it. It was his brother that was at stake. He wouldn't care how pathetic he would look, if it meant saving him, or even just seeing him, it would even matter less than stepping on a single ant.

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Dante carried his brother back down to his office and laid him on to the couch. He straightened his back and chuckled when he heard his brother softly snoring. Now, that was something to reassure him. He smiled and stroked his neck, still feeling the death grip he received from his brother before he passed out. It was strange, but he felt happy when his brother tried to kill him again. Maybe it was a proof that everything was for real? That he wasn't hallucinating, and his brother won't just disappear the next minute.

He took his brother down from his room so he could clean it, but when he took a step back inside, he changed his mind. Dante groaned and just locked the door. Nero could just clean it up for him, or maybe Patty, or even his brother after he wakes up. He returned to his office where Vergil was sleeping, and knelt down right next to him.

"Pleasant dreams, brother." He whispered as he brushed Vergil's hair up and out of his face just like how he always wore it. Even though they had the same face, staring at his twin gave a peculiar sensation that burned up his chest. Maybe he just missed him. That was the explanation he held on to. Despite their futile attempts to kill each other, they're still brothers. They had the same blood that flowed in their veins. Maybe that was it. They just sort of liked the twisted brotherhood they shared.

Vergil opened his eyes and stared at his brother's smile. "Enjoyed yourself?"

"Yeah, I did." He snickered as he cupped his brother's face with a hand. "Feeling great?"

"Ecstatic." The dark twin replied dryly as he slapped his brother's hand away and weakly sat up, letting the red coat that kept him warm fall down to the ground. He suddenly froze, eyes locked on the clothing sprawled all over his feet. It was read, the color of his blood, the color of what the men wore when they… when he was… He suddenly screamed. Ears tightly covered with his palms as he did.

"H-hey!"

Vergil screamed again and again. He ran past his brother, kicking him out of his way in the process. He ran to the wall and started slamming his head violently against it. His hands were trembling, his whole body in fact, but he kept his entire mind in the pain his head was feeling. Blood squirted and gushed out of his skin, stained everything that was in a foot radius.

"C-calm down!" Dante ran towards him and held him back, but his brother just kept on struggling. "Stop it!" He was starting to get scared. His brother can be sometimes weird, yes, but not to this extent. Vergil hated the human world and its inhabitants, but he had never done anything like this before. Despite that, Dante couldn't get the strength to blame him. After seeing the video, those pictures, the documents, and only God knows, maybe they had done worse that they couldn't get to write it down in shame.

"P-please, calm down!" He tightened his embrace, his tears started to form. "Brother," he whispered. "Vergil, please."

The elder twin froze with a tiny gasp. He lifted his gaze up to the ceiling then closed them. He swallowed hard and then pressed himself back firmly at his brother as he finally calmed down. He felt weak and he hated himself whenever that he does. "Let go." He coldly said.

Dante didn't want to argue, not at the moment, anyway. So many things had happened, and he himself wasn't in any mood to lighten it anyhow. He loosened his hold and let go of his brother who was now covered with cold sweat and his own blood. Vergil walked back upstairs without any word and locked himself at the still blood-coated room.

Vergil screamed again once he was inside the room. Dante fell down to the couch and tried to block the sounds away, but despite his brother's confinement, the sounds were clear and thorough. His brother's cries and sounds of his head hitting the wall were heard throughout the house. The demon hunter wanted to start screaming himself, but that would only make matters worse.

"God damn it." He sighed as he covered his face with his hands. "Stop it already."

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Dante lied down on the couch since his chair and desk was in an impossible state to be repaired. His brother had stopped for almost an hour since, though, he was worried if he was even still alive up there. But even if his brother was still alive or not, he couldn't bring himself to force that door open only to be welcomed again by a bloody sight. He was starting to feel sick at it, and maybe it was just because it was his brother's, not just anyone he knew.

The demon hunter rummaged through the package and stared at the last box he had yet to open. He wondered what might be inside, but he wasn't yet ready to find out. He might really snap and go insane. He laid the box down at his feet and browsed through the documents again.

_Week Forty One: Cruentus opened his eyes and gained consciousness. It was wonderful that he did; now we can get more samples from him._

Dante gritted his teeth in anger.

_Week Forty Three: We tried to get a few more samples of Cruentis' sex cells, but it seemed that it already knew what was about to happen. Before the males can get closer, he had killed them. Cruentus was in a different form as he did. It seemed that the specimen's demon side had awakened. We cannot stop, so we asked for more men. We will try again after a few days._

"I can't take this anymore." Dante groaned and put the documents back inside the box. He checked around if anything that was supposed to be kept was lying around. He walked around the room and picked up a few papers and pictures then put them back inside the box. He stared at the package for a moment and furrowed his brows. "What to do with you?" He asked himself.

He really didn't know what to do with it. Maybe he shouldn't have opened it in the first place, somehow, he hated his side of beings quite the nosy guy. But it was too late to take things back and just act like he didn't do anything. He sighed and looked up at the stairs. He thought of his brother, the package would affect him more than it does to him. That package was everything about him, so he should consider his decision on his brother a lot.

He tightened his grip at the box and looked down on it. Should he throw it or keep it? If he decided to throw the package away, he would never know what happened to Vergil. Well, he already knew a few but there could be more, and what if something actually went wrong with his brother? He wouldn't know it unless it slapped him on the face. Maybe someday it would be a big help, too. But everything started with maybes. Maybe this, maybe that. If he chose to keep this, his brother might find it. Being the observant and assessor his brother is, there would be more than seventy percent that Vergil really would.

"God, I hate making decisions!" He groaned and scratched his head.

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Vergil lied down on the soaked bed. He pressed his face against the stained pillow and stared out of the window. He had enough with the pain, so he stopped, and decided to think things over. But what was there to think over? Everything was clear, the memories were horribly vivid. The feeling, the pain… he could even feel everything until now. He couldn't sleep; it would just come to him there. Maybe it was better if he really died, or if his brother didn't find him. Yes, it would've been better. He would be left there unconscious without knowing what hit him, what abused his body.

He embraced himself, feeling as pathetic as he had ever before. If he was just stronger, if he had more power than Mundus, if he had just beaten him, none of this would have happened. He hated being weak, he hated losing, being pathetic, not able to do anything at all but cower.

"You awake?" A knock came, and a gentle voice calling on the other side of the wooden door.

Vergil pressed his lips together, determined not to give his brother any sort of a reply. The elder twin shifted and pulled the covers up to his head. He wasn't in any mood to face anyone now. Hell, he didn't even want to see any human again, or even creatures that looked like one. He had broken the mirrors inside the room, not caring if his brother would get angry or not. It's not like he ever did, but he just didn't much less at the moment.

"Um… Hey, bro…" His brother continued. "I… Well… I'm sure you're… asleep now, and… and maybe you'll think so low of me for doing this… while… y'know, you're asleep. But… but I… well…" He suddenly paused. "Fuck this! I don't fucking know what's the point of this shit!"

_Neither do I, Dante._ He thought to himself. Vergil's lips curled into a smile. He rolled to lie on his back and stared at the ceiling while listening to his brother stumble with his words. His brother wanted to say something while he was asleep, where's the logic in that? He wanted to laugh, but his mood wasn't that good at the moment; the best he could give off was a simple smile.

"Well… I just… I'm just worried, I guess… with… with how you… reacted hours ago. I… I know w-we're not in… great terms… in every aspect, in fact… but… we… we're still brothers, a-after all, so… so… if you… if you need anything, if you need someone to… y'know, talk to, I'm just right beside you, okay? I'm… I want to help you in any way I can. I… I promise I'll do everything for you. So, don't… don't hesitate to ask… okay?" Dante sighed, finally got it all off his chest and shoulders. It was hard despite knowing that his brother was asleep, well, at least, he thought he was.

"Okay." Vergil replied with a smile on his face. He sat up and faced the door. Despite its awful appearance with his blood all over it, he managed to laugh a little. He covered his mouth, feeling a bit strange and shy in doing it after so many years that he thought his heart had frozen.

"W-what the!?" His brother slammed his fist against the door and stomped his foot, he almost broke the door and the floor but Vergil was so sure he wouldn't. Dante didn't seem to have enough money to cover for it if he did, anyway. "Y-you're awake?! T-this w-whole time!?" His brother's stuttering came back and it didn't leave his mouth until he wasn't done with his complaints. "W-why d-didn't you tell me?! I… I c-called you!"

"I don't bark, Dante, and I'm sure I don't have to." The elder twin stared at the door with the smile on his face that was slowly turning sweet upon every word his brother was spitting angrily at him through the closed door. He could easily tell that his brother was embarrassed, and if he could shrink, he would.

"F-fuck you! This is why I hate you!" Dante yelled at the top of his lungs and stormed downstairs. "I HATE YOU!"

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Dante threw himself to the couch with a deep sigh. Sometimes, he just couldn't understand why his brother had to be so mean and do things to him. Well, it wasn't like he almost got killed by him again, but in a way, Vergil just loved humiliating him. Despite that, he found himself smiling again; it somehow reminded him of how things used to be between the two of them. They really weren't always in best terms, but still, underneath those heated arguments they shared, they could still feel each other's love, but that vanished when the elder twin got obsessed in getting stronger.

He sighed again, raising his feet up to the other side of the couch and occupy the whole thing as he lied. He looked up at the ceiling and their childhood memories started to swarm his mind. He suddenly chuckled upon remembering a certain look on his brother's face when they were still kids, when they still had their mother… when nothing else in the world was between them except their laughs and petty disagreements.

They were twins, their age was the same, but Vergil seemed to grow a lot faster than he does. The elder twin protected him, looked after him and taught him everything he had to know that their mother failed to do. Dante only managed to live through their loss of their mother because his brother was there, because Vergil was alive… but he just had to mess up everything and ruin their lives.

"_It had always been you."_ That was what Vergil told him before their lives were permanently separated. The demon hunter still remembered exactly how his brother looked when he did. There was sadness in his eyes, no matter how hard things went for them; he never saw anger in those eyes that reflected his own. He respected him for that, he looked up to him, and even got inspired to grow as strong as he was. _"She favored you more, loved you more… maybe the only thing that I ever received more than you did was her hatred."_

"_That's not true. You know that's not true!"_ That was Dante's reply despite knowing that it really was reality. He felt it, too, but he wasn't stupid enough to rub it on his brother's face. He wasn't that immature and insensitive. He knew how Vergil grew lonely because of that, but Dante was too attached with their mother and wanted to protect those precious memories that he managed to keep in mind.

"_You don't understand… You just don't understand."_ Vergil whispered. He rarely whispered and it was because that whenever he does, he was close to breaking to tears which the elder twin despised the most. _"I have to get stronger… I'll avenge her death. I'll make her realize just how much she disregarded me, and make her regret that she ever did. I want her to feel sorry. I want her to apologize. I want her to pay for all those years that she ignored me."_

"_Hey, don't talk like that."_Vergil had kept his word. He grew stronger and killed every demon that he crossed paths with, which was how his revenge worked out. Few more years passed and he began to feel good about himself, and told his brother that maybe their mother had finally realized his worth. That time, Vergil smiled for real and Dante couldn't help but do so, too. But there was one promise that the elder twin had forgotten and ended up committing the sin himself.

"_Don't worry, Dante."_ Vergil turned to his brother with his usual reassuring diminutive smile. _"I'd still protect you. I promise that no one will ever hurt you._"


	4. Irascor Iratus :: Be Wrathful

**TITLE: **Sceleratus  
**AUTHOR:** fENjiEn rEn  
**ANIME/GAME:** Devil May Cry

**  
SUMMARY:** Dante took a simple mission of wiping clean a demon's nest, but he ended up doing, finding out, and taking things more than they had agreed on. Along with the package that is to be unopened, he found his brother, too, but with a horrible catch.  
**GENRE:** Angst, drama, family/friendship, hurt and comfort, and mystery.

**WARNING:** Yaoi (boy on boy), incest, fluff (sweet stuff), angst, lemon (smut), violence, gore, and foul words.**  
PAIRINGS:** Vergil-Dante (Dante-Vergil), one-sided Dante-Nero, and implied Nero-Patty Rowell.

**DISCLAIMERS:** Capcom owns Devil May Cry.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Patty Rowell is a blonde girl from the DMC anime.

**CHAPTER FOUR:** Irascor Iratus.

Vergil had locked himself in his brother's bloody room and lied down on the stained bed. He lied on his stomach, his face pressed against the blood-reeking pillow, and his silver hair sprawled all over the spoiled mattress. He sighed and rolled his eyes. He still wasn't any mood to do anything else but breathe. Maybe if he could stop his breathing, he would but it would just stress him out for nothing. He didn't want to be bothered by and with anything. He wouldn't care if a fire suddenly starts. He was more than willing to get himself fried. He felt dirty, unclean… worthless—a piece of trash, the other half of a pretty picture that was crumpled and thrown aside.

_I should've died._ The dark twin thought as he closed his eyes. He didn't want to sleep, but he was tired. He knew the memories would haunt him in dreams, but he couldn't help it. He could feel his whole body ache and throb. He grinded his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut as his limbs stiffened in pain. Whatever those humans did to him while he was out and inside that tube, that must had been the side effect. He couldn't think of any other reason, so that must be it. _God damn humans._

He shifted and rolled to his back, his eyes still tightly shut. He groaned and stretched his body, but it only worsened his grief. He twisted to the other side and dug his nails deep into his own skin with the streak of electricity that went down his spine. A knock suddenly came from the other side of the door that made him shot his eyes open. He thought for a while, then snorted and threw whatever his hand touched when he stretched it to his left with an enraged screech. It was his brother, obviously. It's impossible to be someone else.

The foot steps echoed, its sound slowly softening. Dante had left again, fortunately. The younger twin had been assessing him every five minutes for a week now. Yes, it had only been a week ever since he lived with his brother, and it wouldn't feel like he was stuck in Hell if it wasn't for what he had gone through beforehand.

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Another week passed and the brothers still had their barriers up tough—Vergil still had been locking himself out from his brother, and Dante still exerting effort to get him out of there or himself inside. Honestly, Dante had his patience low and thin and he really wanted to just bust that door that separated the two of them. It wouldn't take much effort, since if we talk about difficulty, taking a damn door down would be less than easy or very easy or whatever that would be even easier than easy.

Dante sighed then knocked at the door of his room again, in little hopes that his brother would finally open it up. But, like always, a crashing sound greeted him and his pitiful door. He wondered what that could be now. He could care less if his room would be all covered in blood and shattered stuff, all that matters now was to help his brother somehow.

"Hey, was that my clock?" The younger pressed his forehead against the door that had amazingly survived his brother's uncontrollable wrath of throwing things harshly at it. A few things rustled on the other side, Dante moved away in fear that something else and maybe bigger or deadlier would come his way, and for once, he was right. There was a blue blade going through the worn out door, reaching out to his flesh. "Watch it, bro!" He growled, looking down at the small cut the deadly summoned sword gave his stomach as he took a step back.

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Vergil sat on the edge of the bed. The smell was starting to annoy his senses, but as his pride wouldn't admit, he decided to just ignore it until he finds something to replace the sheets without his brother's help. The blood all over the walls didn't agitate him more than the stench did. He wouldn't bother cleaning the room up even if it was covered with demon guts or something if it didn't smell awful. He wrinkled his nose and glared at the poor pillow now with lots of holes. If he and his brother had anything in common, whether he accepted this to be a fact or not, it would be stubbornness and sometimes, even stupidity. Who would slice up a pillow because it smelled bad, anyway?

The dark slayer stood up and head to the door. He was hungry and he couldn't remember the last time he ate. He even lost track of time. Maybe it had already been a month that he stayed with his brother? Regardless of the time frame concerning this welcomed stay, what about that time in the ruins? How long had he been there? How long was he held prisoner? How long was he treated like a guinea pig? The son of the legendary Sparda cowering and crying, how many times had it been?

_Pathetic._ His eyes turned to slits, looking down at his hands that slowly closed and clenched tight. If he was just stronger, if he had enough power, then things wouldn't go this way. He gritted his teeth and slapped himself with his blood drenched palms. He stretched his mouth open and released an agonized scream. He balled his fists to his hair and tried to pull them off his head again. He shook his head violently and breathed in, just to have more energy to scream again.

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Dante sat up and covered his ears. He closed his eyes as much as he wanted his ears to do so as well if it could. His brother's screams was terrifying and distressing. Maybe this is what the scientists meant when they heard him yell. It sent shivers up his spine, as well, and as if it was controlling his mind, he started to fell awful, too, and see his nightmares replay before his very eyes.

"Stop it. Stop it." The demon hunter whispered like it was a prayer. Dante rocked himself on the couch like a five-year old kid who witnessed something he shouldn't have but did because he didn't do what he was told. He was shivering and sweating cold. It had been more than a decade since he last felt this hopeless. The last was when their mother died and when he thought his brother did too.

Soon, he felt enough of it. He grabbed his red coat and rushed out of Devil May Cry. He walked as fast as he can until his brother's screams sounded like nothing but whispers. He pressed his back against the cold wall and sighed. He closed his eyes and calmed himself down.

"You all right?"

Dante opened his eyes and saw someone who looked a like himself when he was younger. He chuckled and stood back straight. He put his hand on his waist and patted the young silver-head with the other. They had been quite good friends, and now, he had been treating him like a new brother. No, he wouldn't want to think of Nero as his son, thinking how it could have happened would surely scar him for life. "Why do you have to pop out every time I feel and look like shit?"

Nero arched a brow. "Really? I thought you always look like shit."

"Oh, so you find shits sexy? Or is it just me?"

"Very funny, old man." The ex-Order member blushed and swatted Dante's hand away. "Anyway, did you meet Patty?"

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Vergil stretched his jaw as much as it could with one last scream, and with it, he lost control and turned to his demon form. Everything that was in the same room as he flew and broke down into tiny pieces as it made contact with the walls. Voices whispered in the transformed demon's head. It blamed him for everything, for being weak that the petty humans managed to abuse his body in every way that no demon ever could. He was struggling within himself, he wanted to run away from everything but he had no place and no one to go to but to his self. He considered himself alone so many years ago. He made himself believe that he had no family—no father, no mother, and no brother. But if he did, it meant nothing but pretense. Everyone had been long gone because he failed to protect them, because he was weak, because he was just not strong enough.

The dark slayer's long roar stopped and the voices, too, only to push him out of the room and to make him destroy everything that his eyes would set on. The voices in his head was his own, the part of him that was obsessed with power, the part of him that witnessed their mother's brutal death in the hands of what made him whole. The child, who was supposed to die back then with the very same hands that held their mother's corpse, pointed a finger at him and told him that everything was his fault and that he deserved to die.

He reverted to his human form and fell down to his knees in the middle of his brother's broken down office. He gritted his teeth and crashed his head against the floor, feeling so weak to stand up and run to a wall just to do the same. Blood gushed out of his skin, and with every slam, it spurted and covered everything that was close.

The doors of Devil May Cry swung open. Vergil lifted his gaze, anticipating his brother. His lips curled into an unsettling smile and lounged forward to the form standing by the door. It shrieked.

"Huuuuman." Vergil snarled as he cocked his head to the side.

"D-dante?" The woman under the hybrid's mercy stuttered and cried. Her beautiful blonde hair was sprawled across the floor as Vergil held her by the throat to keep her from escaping or simply struggling. Patty looked terrifyingly at the blood flowing down the elder twin's face. Tears rolled down her puffy red checks as she held his hand gently. "I-it's me… P-patty R-r-rowell? Y-you remember m-me, r-right?"

"Dante?" He slurred as he triggered to his demon form in an instant, then back to his human form.

"Y-yes, D-dante. Y-you're Dante."

"No." The demon hybrid shook his head. "I… I am not Dante. Dante… Dante is… human."

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Dante ran as fast as he could back to his home and office. Nero told him about Patty, and how she was supposed to surprise him on suddenly appearing on his doorstep. He would love it and appreciate the thought, but it seemed like a very bad idea at the moment. His brother was there, and he himself wasn't at home, what if his brother and Patty bumped into each other? Vergil wasn't in the best mood and sane to see a human right away. Maybe he wouldn't get worked up if it was Nero who'd meet up his brother. The young demon hunter was a half, at least. He was sure his brother can sense that, but a pure human? If he wouldn't get there in time, there were no doubts he'd find her dead.

"Vergil! Patty!" Dante called as Devil May Cry came to his sight. The doors were opened and from afar, he saw his brother on top of the woman with his hand up in the air ready to strike. He bent over and pressed a hand against the ground to perform a demonic dash. "Vergil! No!"

The dark slayer lifted his eyes and growled. "Human."

Dante reached out to his brother and pulled him off the woman. He threw him down to the ground and pinned him there by holding his brother's wrists tight against the floor. The elder struggled and kicked but the other just received them and held on tighter. "C-calm down!" He said then pressed his cheek next to his brother's freezing one. "Calm down." He whispered, closing his eyes.

"Patty!" Nero arrived and ran towards her. He welcomed her with a tight embrace and turned to the twins lying on the ground. The ex-Order member furrowed hiss brows and stared at the man under Dante's grip. It looked exactly like the older demon hunter, but something told him that the man was different. Something was different but he couldn't tell what it was. "Your brother?" he asked.

Dante looked back and gave a warm smile. He crawled off his brother and helped him sat up, ignoring Nero's prior question since the answer to that would be utterly obvious at that point.. "You still in one piece, Patty?"

"Y-yes, thank you." The blonde woman replied as she moved closer to Nero's chest.

"Sorry 'bout him, though." Dante chuckled. "He's… a bit sensitive." He turned to his brother and lifted him up to his arms. He sighed, Vergil lost consciousness again. Not completely, but it looked like it. The elder twin's eyes were half opened and empty. He looked like how he was when he sleeps, and for that, he realized how much pain his brother must've felt when he saw a human instead of his brother who promised to help. "You better leave now, Patty, before he wakes up. I doubt that he'd like to have another look at you."

"O-okay." She nodded. "Nero…"

"I'll stay."

"B-but…"

Nero looked down at her and tightened his hold around her waist. "I'll stay."


	5. Lethargus et Fascino :: Sloth and Envy

**TITLE: **Sceleratus  
**AUTHOR:** fENjiEn rEn  
**ANIME/GAME:** Devil May Cry

**SUMMARY:** Dante took a simple mission of wiping clean a demon's nest, but he ended up doing, finding out, and taking things more than they had agreed on. Along with the package that is to be unopened, he found his brother, too, but with a horrible catch.  
**GENRE:** Angst, drama, family/friendship, hurt and comfort, and mystery.

**WARNING:** Yaoi (boy on boy), incest, fluff (sweet stuff), angst, lemon (smut), violence, gore, and foul words.**  
PAIRINGS:** Vergil-Dante (Dante-Vergil), one-sided Dante-Nero, and implied Nero-Patty Rowell.

**DISCLAIMERS:** Capcom owns Devil May Cry.

**CHAPTER FIVE:** Lethargus et Fascino.

Dante stood by the door. Nero approached him and looked out to see the reason why. They were welcomed by such a sight; it was a lot worse than either of them last saw it. Yes, Nero had been here before and he found Vergil licking the blood of the floor. Back then, he thought it was Dante so he didn't protested on what he did to him, only God know what that was, but now that he had found out that it was actually someone else, anger suddenly fumed inside him. However, he just bit his lip and decided to settle it later.

"Hey." The older demon hunter turned to him. "You mind holding him for a sec?"

Nero offered his arms without hesitation and carried the unconscious demon hybrid. He stared down at his face, it was no different from the last time they met, but there was something that suddenly woke up and pointed out the twin's difference for him.

The older demon hunter rummaged through his closet and pulled new beddings and a mattress. He walked over the bed and replaced everything that smelled like blood. Dante then asked the younger one to put his brother down to the bed and get his self washed. Nero looked down at his chest and realized that he was covered with the dark slayer's blood. He nodded then went downstairs.

Dante looked at his brother for a while and followed the younger hybrid downstairs to get some cleaning equipment. He never had been the most vigorous when it comes to cleaning and other house chores, but it was the least he could do know that he finally got inside his room. He went back upstairs and started cleaning as much as he could. Nero soon joined him and helped without being asked.

"I owe you some, kid." It was his thank you. Saying it directly was making him off character. He showed a tender smile, though. It said thanks, too. The younger demon hunter shrugged, looked away and hid his flushed face. Dante laughed, it was pretty obvious despite the teenager's efforts. He crossed his arms and shook his head with a smile on his face. "No need to go red. I already like you in your standard color."

"Shut up!" Nero spat with clenched fists. He liked the older demon hunter. Sure, he wouldn't deny that but he wouldn't jump around telling the whole world about it, either. He still felt a little edgy and reluctant with his newly discovered point of affection, and he didn't want anyone rubbing it in. He was embarrassed enough to know that Kyrie and he couldn't be together because of it.

"Chill, kid. I'm just kidding." Dante patted the boy's back. "I can't believe you're still not over your sexuality. I told you it's normal."

"It's not! Everyone else is disgusted with me, you know that? Even the law says it's wrong. Everyone says it's wrong!"

"But you're not like everyone." The older demon hunter ruffled the ex-Order member's silver hair and patted it. "As much as you want to be, unfortunately, you just can't be like them. You, me, us… We're just different. Not everything can be understood, but it doesn't mean it's wrong. So, don't mind them. As long as they aren't running after you with torches and some other crazy stuff, you don't have to worry about anything."

"Easy for you."

"Easy? That's not how I remember it, but… whatever." Dante shrugged. "Just try to handle the rest with yourself. Okay, kid?"

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Dante cradled his face with a hand over the bed. He was sitting down on the floor with his legs crossed and watching his identical twin rest. He wasn't sure if Vergil was sleeping. The elder twin had his eyes half open, after all, but he wasn't moving. The demon hunter took it as his brother was in state of shock, or in other words, in comatose. It was possible since they were half humans, but this was the first time it happened or even heard of it. He didn't know if his brother was going to wake up again, or have it a fifty-fifty percent chance like humans.

The younger twin held his mirror image's warm hand with his free one. He gave it a soft squeeze and waited for any reaction, but none came. He sighed and just kept his hand over the last family member he had and could possibly save. He was too young to do anything the first time something happened. He was helpless as much as his brother was back then, but he was the first one to run in fear. He acted so shamefully and left everyone behind in wanting to save his own life.

_Mother._ The memories were still so clear—every sound, every view, every emotion that he felt so many years ago were still so vivid in his mind. The frightening appearance of their house burning still haunted him at night and how he cried when he saw their mother calling him before a prickly scythe went through her throat to silence her up.

Dante still remembered where Vergil was then. His elder twin was right in front of their mother and witnessed her die. It was no wonder he somehow flipped a bit. Their mother's look before she died was very terrorizing. Dante had managed to say that from feet afar, how much worse did Vergil felt when he saw it up close? Dante really never saw his brother die, but there wasn't any chance of survival, so he thought he was the only one left so he ran. He ran as fast as he could and as far as his legs would take him.

_I'm sorry. I wasn't strong enough._ Vergil suddenly twitched and gripped at his younger brother's hand. Dante stood up, squeezing the hand back to make him feel that he wasn't alone. He looked at his face, waiting patiently for any more movement or sign of life. But his brother did not wake up, he did not speak… Vergil was still half asleep.

The demon hunter touched his brother's pale face and brushed a few silver strands off his face. _If I was strong enough, I could've saved them and then, none of this would ever have happened. Now, I think I understand why you were so obsessed with power, Vergil. I think I really do, now._

"So, wake up again, okay?" Dante said as he lifted his hand with his brother's and pressed it against his lips. "And we'll try to make up for everything."

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Nero walked around Dante's kitchen. He was thinking about everything what the older man told him. According to Dante, it was natural for demons to be bisexual (as humans call it). There had always been few female demons, so it was not much of a surprise seeing two demons of the same sex together and… doing… some… stuff. It had never been a problem of the lesser demons because they didn't need to procreate. Lesser demons were created by the actions and behaviors of humans. Every time a human commits any of the seven deadly sins, a Hell Sin is born.

Nero sighed and stopped. Despite knowing this, he still felt uneasy and ashamed. Since they were both demons, Dante would understand, of course, but what about the others? How about the people that would see and know if ever they get together?

_No._ He shook his head. The elder demon hunter isn't the type of person who sticks to one. Most likely, even if they say they're together, Dante would still play around with women. He felt stupid for not realizing that earlier. Nero gave out a deep sigh.

The ex-Order member walked to the fridge and raided for anything to eat. There was nothing there beside canned beers. He scowled and gave another sigh. He walked out of the kitchen and went to the desk where the phone was. He took the receiver and dialed a certain number he forced himself to memorize just for Dante.

"Hello, good evening, sir/ma'am. You have called the best Pizza delivery service, how may I be your assistance?"

Nero looked up the stairs and tried to recall the elder one's favorite pizza. It didn't help him, though. Dante would dig on anything without olives.

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Dante fell asleep, still holding his brother's hand softly. This may be one of the few times that he would dream differently, but that didn't mean it would be a pleasant one. He groaned and tightened his grip a bit. His brows furrowed and his lips crushed firmly against each other. He was dreaming… of course, he was. Behind his close eyes, he saw their frightening past.

He was crying and running. It was after he saw their house burning. He didn't know where to go, but he kept on running in great fear that the demons will catch him. He would visualize his mother in front of him if he didn't witness her death, or maybe his brother Vergil. They weren't really close, but his older brother always protected him if he needed it. As he was running, he wished him to be with him, at least. Dante was so sure that Vergil would know what to do and where to go.

He stopped running and fell down to the wet ground. He started crying.

"_Dante?_" A very familiar voice echoed. The said male looked up and saw his identical brother looking down at him in concern. "_Are you okay? Are you hurt?_"

He shook his head then jumped up to embrace his brother. If there was something that he never had mistaken, it was his brother. Vergil was always there when and exactly where he needed him. They always argued, but for Dante, his brother was the best person in the world if it wasn't their mother. "_I… I… I t-t-t-thought y-you l-left me t-too._" He managed to say between sobs and stuttering.

"_When have I ever left you, Dante? I promised I'll always be with you, didn't I?_"

"_B-but… But m-m-mother… s-she… she…_"

"_Sh._" Vergil embraced his trembling brother tighter. "_I know. She's in heaven now, though. You don't have to cry._"

Everything was still perfect with his life. Even without their mother, they managed to survive. Dante and Vergil even grew closer as they strived to live and supported each another. They even almost forgot their tragic past, but something just had to ruin it all and Dante always wished it never happened.

"_I was the one with her, the one who tried to save her, but even before she died, she called out to you. She didn't tell me to run, didn't call my name. Maybe she wouldn't even care if I died if it would mean your survival. Maybe I should've let the demons kill me in front of her back then. So, at least, I had done something to please her before she died herself. Maybe she would even thank the demons for killing me. She wouldn't even shed a tear. Maybe she'd even laugh. She hated me, but she loved you. It had always been you._ _She favored you more, loved you more… maybe the only thing that I ever received more than you did was her hatred."_

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Nero plopped himself to the couch and looked around. He was looking for something to do until his order arrives so he can go back up to the room and talk to the elder demon hunter. He sighed and scratched his head. He left his CD player on his apartment. He didn't have any ideas of staying long, but the untimely events forced him to. The ex-Order member was worried about Dante, and he perfectly knew that the elder demon hunter will need all the help that he could get.

He bent over in boredom, his head between his legs and his arm flat between his chest and thighs. He stayed like that until he noticed a box that was carefully hidden in the shadows under the couch. He raised a brow and stood up. He went down to the floor on his knees and pulled the package out from the darkness.

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Dante, still asleep, shifted a little. He was still dreaming about some atrocious things he knew. He groaned, which seemed to be a suppressed cry, and tightened his hold on his brother's hand. His eyes tightened their close and let a single tear crawl down his face.

"_Where am I?_"

He was dreaming that he was in a cell, bounded by strong chains held securely on the walls.

"_Who am I?_"

But was this really his dream? Or his brother's? Why did it feel different? Why did he feel so helpless and alone? He wanted to call for help, but then, he couldn't find the strength to call his mother, or even his brother. Somehow, it seemed that he had forgotten them. Dante felt, on that dream, that he had no name to call.

"_What am I?_"

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Nero answered the door and accepted the delivery; he paid for it, as well! He thanked the man and gave him a tip. He flashed a simple smile and closed the door as the delivery man left. He glanced up the stairs and sighed again. That might already be the tenth time this day. He couldn't help it, he was bracing himself to talk to Dante and finally get everything straight. He will confess to him and tell him how he felt face-to-face.

_Well, here goes nothing. _He walked up to the room and paused by the closed door. Nero knocked then opened it. "Hey, I have some…" he stopped, and then bit his lip. He couldn't understand why he felt it but he certainly knew what it was. He found Dante holding Vergil's hand, both sleep, and he felt jealous. He didn't know why he felt jealous over the brothers' tenderness. Then, he suddenly remembered…

"_For some reason, demons can share and detect certain emotions that are for them, especially if it's something strong._" Dante's voice echoed in the ex-Order member's head. Nero stared at the joint arms of the two. Despite knowing the obvious details that those two were twins, he still couldn't brush of the jealousy that was building up inside him. He sighed and decided to leave.

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Nero threw himself to the couch and laid the box of pizza on the floor. He closed his eyes and sighed. He wondered if what he felt was something for real and just. He was jealous of Vergil even knowing that he just had a special place for Dante's heart for being his only family left. It was understandable, but his feelings were not. Right there and then when he saw them holding hands, something inside of him seemed to explode and told him to rip the two apart. Maybe it was his demon side kicking in. He lifted an arm and put it over his tired eyes and swore that he'd never let it control him.

"Hey, kid."

The young ex-Order member took of his hand and blinked, looking up to a pair of sea blue eyes. "What?"

"Need you to watch over him for a couple of minutes. I just need to take a piss and a shower."

Nero sat up and his eyes involuntarily and slowly scanned the elder's exposed body from his waist up to those broad shoulders. His jaw hung open and stiff. Dante always walked around the shop without a shirt, and sometimes totally nude if there was no one else but the two of them. No, they never did anything naughty or something. It was just how their lives go together, and Nero didn't use to mind but since he had admitted his attraction to the man, something inside him suddenly burned. It took him quite some time before he realized that he was actually checking him up and dazed at the bare torso. He then gritted his teeth and looked away, showing off a frown. "Okay, okay. Just get out of my sight already."

"You sure you'd want that?" Dante replied with his usual annoying tone with a sly smirk. "I'm pretty sure you were—"

"Shut up!" He yelled and stood up. He gave the man his coldest stare before stomping up the stairs to the room and slammed the door shut.

The older demon hunter laughed then shrugged. "Kids."

**X – X – X DEViL MAY CRY X – X – X**

Nero stared furiously at Dante's unconscious half. The thoughts were getting revived and voices started to whisper. Was this how a demon lived a life? With voices in his head that told him what to do? Or did he only have this because he was also human? He shook his head. Another set of answers sprouted before him again just when he thought he understood everything.

"What's so special about you?" He spat. He felt very angry, he didn't know for sure why, but maybe it was his prior jealousy burning back. He felt pathetic at the moment, but he couldn't quite place his feelings somewhere reasonable. He gritted his teeth and continued to glare at Vergil. "You're just someone… you're just someone who's… who's…!" He closed his eyes tight. He knew nothing about the older demon hunter's brother. He couldn't say anything against him at all.

His devil bringer glowed and throbbed. Nero opened his eyes and lifted his demonic arm near his face slowly as a light concentrated on it and soon became the long bladed Yamato. He turned back to Vergil who was still half-conscious then lifted the blade right above the man's heaving chest. He breathed in and tightened his grip. He bit his lip and blood almost gushed out between the thin skin and his sharp teeth.

"What the hell do you have that I don't?" Nero put the katana away and stared down at his feet. He shook his head then breathed in. "What's wrong with me? I should be happy for him, right?"

The young ex-Order member looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. The demonic whispers became more lucid than ever before. His blood started to boil again just when he thought his human side was getting more of him than the other. The voices kept on whispering how the elder Demon Hunter should be his and why he should have one of the both world's strongest being as his. Dante's power should be considered as his, and the man himself.

Nero's eyes slowly open, glimmering red as he did. "Dante…"

The young demon hunter's eyes were flashing from red to its oceanic blue color and back. He started to pace around the room with Yamato still firmly trapped in his grasp. His head turned left to right as he walked around. "Dante…"

Voices continued to whisper. Nero gritted his teeth, stomped a foot and stopped. He glanced back at Vergil as his eyes slowly shrunk to deadly slits. "Dante is mine."

* * *

**FENJIEN REN, AUTHOR:** Thanks for all the love, especially with the faves and alerts! :D

**EricDaven201, **scenes happen succesively unless it is stated so. I cut some scenes and jump from one to another, but do not worry, I have plans with that.

**Xelena**, the Sparda twins are never free! BWAHAHAHHAHAH! ...Not from Nero, anyway. XD


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